Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced new key appointments within its commercial division which will support the airline's growth and expansion plans. Amer Khan has been appointed to the position of Regional General Manager for Middle East and North Africa, responsible for managing Etihad Airways' commercial operations across 16 countries from the airline's base in Abu Dhabi. With more than 14 years' experience in the travel industry, he joined Etihad Airways in 2009 as Country Manager in Pakistan, and moved onto the role of Area General Manager for Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Amer began his career with South African Airways in the UK before moving onto American Airlines where he served as the Regional Manager for the Middle East and Pakistan based in the UK and UAE. Ronny de Lange, who has held numerous commercial roles in his four years with Etihad Airways, has been named Vice President Global Corporate Account Management. In his new role, based in Abu Dhabi, Ronny will manage the airline's multinational accounts worldwide. He previously served in a number of roles at Etihad Airways, including Regional General Manager – Offline Sales, Senior Manager Commercial Planning and Manager Alliance Sales. Prior to joining Etihad Airways, he worked in various managerial positions at Lufthansa AG, lastly as Global Star Alliance Corporate Sales Manager. James Mueller, Etihad Airways' Senior Vice President - Global Sales, said: “As we move into an exciting phase of growth with our new Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 aircraft, and First and Business Class products, these new important appointments will be vital to build on the tremendous success that we achieved in 2014. “Along with our continued investment in product, service and network development, we are confident that these highly experienced professionals will drive our sales strategies to even greater heights in years to come.”The two senior appointments will report directly to Daniel Barranger, Etihad Airways' Vice President - Global Sales. — SG
